You have a sweet ride. You have spent a lot of money making it as unique as you are including a custom paint job, an aftermarket exhaust, and custom alloy wheels with chrome rims. You installed a hi-end stereo system with subwoofer, amp, and speakers. You park your car in the same place every day while you are at work. You just left work and are heading across the parking lot to your space. At first, you are merely confused to find some other car in your spot. But as minutes tick by and you look around for your car, confused, understanding settles over you. You had a sweet ride. Now, someone else is driving it.

This is not the moment that you want to find out that all those custom parts aren’t covered by your auto insurance policy. Unfortunately for you, that is most likely what you will find out when the auto adjuster meets with you to talk about your car. Standard policies do not generally cover add-ons and upgrades like custom wheels and special speakers. This means that any loss to your vehicle that damages these parts won’t be covered by your insurance company.

How to Determine What is Covered and What is Not

The best way to figure out what your auto policy covers is to read the entire policy that was provided with your policy when you bought it. Your auto policy usually comes with at least two standard pieces, the Dec Page (Declaration Page) and the full policy document. Each year at renewal, your insurance company likely sends you a new Dec Page which lists start and end dates, limits, coverage’s, and deductibles. Most insurance companies do not provide the full policy document at renewal unless it has fundamentally changed. If you have had your policy for several years, it is likely a good idea to call the insurance company and request a new copy. This saves you from having to dig through old paperwork to find it and also ensures you have the most up to date version.

The policy document outlines every detail about your policy and includes what it covered and what is excluded. Most insurance companies have a standard policy form that they use for all policies. Unless you requested additional coverage’s or different limits, it is likely that your policy follows this standard form.

You can also discuss your policy with your agent and ask them to walk you through your policy and explain what is covered and what is not.

How to Cover Your Customizations

Once you understand what is covered, you can talk to your insurance agent about how to get your custom parts and features covered. The extra coverage you need and which insurance company you use will determine how the additional items you need to insure will be covered. You may need to schedule the items, which will add them as covered items to your original policy. You may need to purchase a rider which adds additional coverage to your policy to provide coverage for your custom items. You may also need to buy a separate policy in order to secure the coverage you need. You agent can assist you in determining the best way to meet your needs.

Don’t wait until the worst happens to determine if your custom car has the coverage you need. Check your policy and talk to an agent today.